Distant Memories
by iamtheloaf
Summary: Dumbledores encounter with Harry and the Mirror of Erised leads him on a trip down memory lane. K /T just cuz thats my gut feeling. PLEASE READ 3


**AN: Lol I wrote this at midnight in like twenty minutes. Awesome. Um, ok**, **so, as you might be able to tell, this story takes place during the Sorcerors stone. The first scene is one that exists in the novel already, just from another perspective, and the rest is made up. Please read the whole thing though :) Thanks 3 -Soubi**

Distant Memories

I entered the room silently and waited. I knew he would be here again, as he had been the past nights before, and I was not disappointed. The door creaked open, without visible explanation and suddenly, he whisked the cloak off and there he was, in the center of the room, facing the mirror. A short bespectacled boy with messy black hair and green eyes, now shining with anticipation. He stared at the mirror silently, transfixed.

"So- back again, Harry?" i said, making myself visible.

"Wah!" He jumped. "I-I didnt see you sir." He cried, startled.

"Strange how nearsighted being invisible can make you." I said, smiling at the wary looking boy. "So, you, like hundreds of others, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised."

"I didnt know it was called that sir." He said, clearly surprised and nervous and suddenly being found in a room, after curfew with the headmaster of the school.

"But I expect youve realized what it does?"

He looked down, embarrased. "It- well- it shows me my family."

"And it shows your friend Ron as head boy."

"How did you know-?"

"I dont need a cloak to become invisible." I told him gently, amused at the wonder on his face. "Now can you think of what the Mirror of Erised shows us all?"

The boy shook his head.

"Let me explain, the happiest man on earth would look into the mirror and see his plain reflection, exactly as he is. Does that help?"

Harry looked thoughtful, then said slowly. "It shows us what we want... whatever we want..." I found my eyes drifting towards the mirror, and forced myself to look away.

"Yes and no." I said softly. "It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest most desperate desire of our hearts. You, who have never known your family, see them standing around you. Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers sees himself standing alone, the best of all of them. However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge, nor truth. Men have wasted away before it, enchanted by what they have seen, or have been driven mad, not knowing whether what they see is real, or even possible." I paused. "The Mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Harry, and I ask you not to go looking for it again. If you _do _run across it, you will now be prepared. It does not to well to dwell on dreams and forget to live. Remember that. Now why dont you put that admirable cloak back on and get back to bed." Harry stood up, turned to the door, and turned right back around. "Sir- Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you a question?"

"Obviously youve just done so." I smiled. "You may ask me one more thing, however."

"What do you see when you look in the mirror?" He asked innocently.

I turned to the mirror, almost automatically, and then looked away. But it was too late, the damage was done. There he was, staring at me, tall and lean, dirty blond hair looking windswept, as always, mischievous grin, light eyes sparkling, full of ideas and knowledge. Knowledge he used to his advantage. I could hear his voice in my ear, whispering, taunting me with questions he already knew the answer to. _ "But Albus, what are _your_ desires? What do _you_ want?" _I turned to the boy, now looking at me curiously. "I? I see myself holding a pair of thick woolen socks."

The boy stared, bewildered.

"One can never have enough socks," I said wisely. "Another Christmas has come and gone and I didnt get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books." I said mournfully. "Well, goodnight Harry."

"G-good night sir." And I left him looking sufficiently perplexed.

Later that night I lay in my bed, thoughts running in and out of my head, as usual. But not the usual thoughts, not thinking about my suspicions of Quirell, not thinking of Harry Potters unfortunate past and uncertain future, not thinking of the imminent rise of Lord Voldemort. No, my thoughts tonight were all of him, making me feel like a much younger man, when he would occupy my thoughts like this, each day. He had not disturbed my thoughts like this for many years now, and I did not appreciate the sudden intrusion.

_Stupid mirror_. I found myself thinking. Then I laughed out loud, at the pure childishness of it. Stupid mirror? What am I, five?

But it had always been like that, hadnt it? Only he could take my brilliant mind and make me turn against it, like a small child, driven only by my most basic desires.

"Al! Al! _Albus_!"

I woke with a start and scrambled out of bed, brandishing my wand around the room, looking for the intruder. "What? Wassgoinon? Whosthere?"

"Me you idiot! Gellert, here, at the window!" Cried a muffled voice in a smooth accent.

"_Gel?" _I ran over to the window and scrambled to open it. "Whatre you doing here?"

He clambered inside immediatly, taking refuge from the cold. "Oh, I just fancied a nightime stroll. What do you think? Im here to see you, idiot." He hissed. I hoped I was imagining the flushing sensation I was experiencing. He looked at me curiously."Why are you holding that quill like that?"

"What quill?" I looked down at my hand. Sure enough, my right hand was clutching my own intricately decorated wooden quill. My wand lay uselessly on the table by my bed. "Oops."

He laughed, realizing my mistake. "What charm did you use to keep the window shut?" He asked, examining the window. "It was very good, I tried alohamora and a bunch of other charms and it didnt work. Electrocuted me a bit when I tried though."

"O-oh, it was a new charm I made up. Ive been experimenting. Sorry about the electric shock, Its to repel intruders. Good to see it worked. You can put some essence of dittany on it."

He didnt seem to hear me and pointed his wand at the window and muttered something, causing green sparks to emit from the tip of his wand. "Genius." He remarked. "As usual."

I was glad for a more innocent reason to be blushing because of him.

He smirked. "Your looking very nice by the way. Very mad-scientist."

I looked down. I was wearing only striped pajama shorts, no shirt, revealing my skinny, awkward seventeen year old physique and my auburn hair looked like someone had tried a failed anti-gravity charm. Surely the way it was standing up like that could not be natural. I hastily smoothed my hair down and grabbed a shirt from a drawer.

"Its alright, you didnt have to change."

"No, im pretty sure I did. Anyway Gel, why are you here?"

"I told you I wanted to see you." He was grinning again, like he found me amusing, and I hoped my discomfort and excitement wasnt visible on the outside. I always found it amazing, how he could change my mood like that, with one word, from happy to sad, or the other way around.

"Y-yes, but you could have waited a few hours, dont you think?"

"I dont like wasting time. I got your letter." He pulled it out of his pocket. (If your wondering, I am referring to the letter in the Deathly Hallows on pg. 35, i just didnt feel like copying the whole letter -Soubi) "Thought we could discuss some of the key points."

"S-sure." We sat down on the floor across from each other and he began, as usual.

"Im glad you saw my point about wizarding dominance being for the muggles own good."

"Of course. I think the first step of that is to abolish the international statute of secrecy. Muggles who dont know about magic, who cant possibly understand... are bound to... draw conclusions. Incorrect conclusions. Its better for them to know whos been given the power here." After all, my father sits in Azkaban because of some very incorrect conclusions drawn by three foolish muggles.

He nodded seriously. "I agree. Though I think we should establish new order in the ministry before we go abolishing the statute. Were going to need the help of ministry workers simply to control the uprising of muggles after the statute is abolished."

"True. I mean, wizards are more powerful of course, but the sheer amount of muggles..."

"Exactly." He smiled. "For the greater good."

I smiled back . "The greater good. _However_, Gel, I know we need to establish a sense of power, but unnecessary force is a very bad idea. Especially towards muggles who cant defend themselves. It will seem senseless and barbaric."

He frowned and so did I. For all that Gel was, brilliant, amazing, so on. He was also slightly bloodthirsty. To say that this never worried me would be a lie, but in light of everything else, this one trait seemed so... unimportant.

"Unnecessary force is the basis of establishing power and control. They need to know what were capable of." He argued.

"Yes, but we can show them that when its _necessary_."

"But how will they fear us? Fear is essential in control." He pointed out.

"That may be so, but ruling with purely fear will never work. That was proven to you at Durmstrang. People need to _believe_ in their leaders. They need to be afraid of us, yes, but more than that they need to _respect _us."

He looked thoughtful. "Respect. Yes. Your right. Thats what I was missing." He said, speaking as though we were talking about ingredients of a potion, and not the delicate balance required to make large amounts of people submit to your will. He smiled at me. "As always Albus, youve seen what I missed."

I stared at him for what was a little longer then necessary before looking down and starting to talk without really knowing what I was saying. "Anyway, if were going to do this for the greater good and all-" He put his hand on my leg, rendering me silent.

"Stop." Not a problem, youve got my attention.

"I- yes?" I cleared my throat, hoping my voice had not been as raspy as I thought.

"Yes, the greater good, the greater good... Thats all we talk about." he said.

"Um, yes? Isnt that whats best?"

"Of course. But what about you, Al?" He whispered.

Was I imagining it, or had he gotten much closer to me than before? And why did it seem like he was getting closer still?

"Um, me? What about me, Gel?"

"Enough with the greater good. What about _your _desires, Albus? What do _you_ want?" His hand was still on my leg, he was looking into my eyes with a mischievous grin.

_You know what I want_. I almost said. It was at the tip of my tongue. And so true. I had been fooling myself, thinking he didnt know how I felt. Of course he knew. Anyone with half his brilliant mind could tell.

"I-I want... I want for us to succeed in bringing about our plans." I finally chocked out. He took his hand off me and leaned back.

"Huh." He looked rather disappointed, almost cold. "I see. _Thats _all you want? Someone with your creativity and brilliance, I expected something more... interesting." He seemed to struggle with the word.

"I.. of course thats not all I want." I said, and he looked at me expectantly. "Theres a lot of things I want Gel." I finally whispered. So many things.

"Like what?"

And I couldnt stop myself. "I want Ariana gone, better, whatever. I want her out of my hair. I want my parents back, to take care of her. I want Aberforth to stop looking at me that way, like _Im _the disappointment, and more than any of that I want..." You. I finished the sentence in my head.

"Yes?"

"Stop it." I said, I stood up, suddenly angry. "Your toying with me, you know what I want." I spat.

"On the contrary Albus, I have no idea. Thats why im so interested." For once, he seemed serious, that mischievous glint in his eyes was gone, replaced by genuine curiosity.

"Fine, if your so interested Ill tell you." He stood up to face me, and I stared up at him, calmly. He stared back, equally calm, but there was something else. Anticipation? Do I dare think it- Desire? "If you must know, more than anything, what I really want is yo-" A huge crash came from down the stairs, followed by a scream.

I closed my eyes. "Ariana." I said. "She needs me."

"Let Aberforth get it." He didnt even flinch at the sound, just continued looking at me.

"Hes not here."

"Then what bloody use is he?"

"Hes my brother."

Another scream, followed by series of crashes. "I have to go."

"Wait." He commanded.

"I cant!"

"Al-!"

"I have to go, Gel."

He turned away. "Fine."

"Wait for me, Ill be right back." I called as I rushed to Arianas room.

"Whatever." I heard him say as I left the room.

Twenty grueling minutes later, I headed back up the stairs, exhausted.

"Gel?" I called as I entered my room. It was empty. No sign of anyone. "Dammit!" I cursed. I had been so close, so very close. A cool breeze blew by me.

Wait, a breeze? I looked at the window. Unable to break my charm, he had resorted to the crude means of breaking the window. "Reparo." I said flatly. "I knew there was something wrong with that charm. Completely open to non-magical attack." I muttered and climbed into bed, hoping very much that Gellert Grindlewald did not find hearts as easily broken and discarded as bedroom windows.

I opened my eyes, confused. I was not in my house in Godrics Hollow. No. I was in my small bedroom at Hogwarts. Yes, thats right, those times were long gone. And Gellert Grindlewald, the boy I knew, was long gone as well. So was the boy Albus Dumbledore, for that matter. I had learned shortly after that night that what Gellert Grindlewald found disposable and easily broken were not others hearts and feelings, but rather others families, namely, little sisters, I thought bitterly. I looked at the clock. I was late. For the first time in almost forty years, I was late for work. I took a deep breath and pulled the sheets back over my head, closing my eyes, and for the first time in such a long time, let myself get lost in distant memories.

**Reviews = love. If I dont reply, sorry, still not entirely sure how to use this stupid site. :) -3 Soubi**


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